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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — for a lock
  5. race — a contest
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — to come down
  10. key — the most important part
  11. firm — a company
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. firm — decided
  18. land — ground
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com